Automatic toilet bowl ventilator



Jan. 12, 1932.

C. M. SMALL ET AL AUTOMATIC TOILET BOWL VENTILATOR Filed Oct. 3, 1930 7mIZVENTORS Patented Jan. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLAUDEIv'I. SMALL AND WILLIAM M. SUBLETT'E, 0F BALDWN PARK, AND ELMER J.,BOEHMER, OF ALHAMBRA, CALFORNIA AUTOMATC TOILET BOVTL VENTILATORApplication led October 3, 1930. Serial 110.488,132.

Our invention relates to automatic toilet bowl ventilators of the typeto be automatically started to operate by sitting upon the bowl, and ithas among its salient objects to provide a. compact, self-contained andpractical ventilator of the type referred to which can be mounted closeto the bowl and opening through the floor with motor driven blowertherein adapted to suck fumes and air from the bowl and to discharge itdownwardly and out through the floor; to provide a device in which amotor and fan driven thereby are mounted within and axially of the mainbody or housing of the device and arranged to discharge the air andJfumes downwardly after sucking them inwardly from the bowl; to providea simple and practical means for automatically operating acurrent-controlling switch with every pressure upon the seat and everyrelease oi such pressure, whereby the motor is started and operatedduring the occupancy of the seat; to provide therein simple resistanceinterposed between the source of current supply and the motor whichdrives the fan, whereby the ordinary current common in residences can beused.

1n order to explain our invention, we have illustrated the same on theaccompanying sheet of drawings, which we will now describe.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ventilator embodying our invention,partly in section to show the interior construction and arrangement;

Figure 2 is an edge view of the suction nozzle;

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are cross sectional views taken on the lines 3-8,1--4, and 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, our invention as hereillustrated, comprises a main body or housing with a mot-or and fanchamber 6, switch and resistance chamber 7, with removable cover 8, anda tubular portion 9, extending to the top of the body and united withthe portion forming the chamber 7, but with its side within said chamber7 eX- tending only part way up, as indicated at 9. Adjustably mountedwithin said tubular portion 9, is a tube 10, extending down into thebody and slightly above, with a set screw 11, for holding it in adjustedplace. This tubular member 10 has telescoping within it, at its upperend, a tube 12, provided at its upper end with a suction nozzle 13,projecting from one side thereof, and adapted to be inserted between thetop of a toilet bowl B, indicated in light broken lines, and the bowlseat S, also indicated in light broken lines, said nozzle being securedin place by means of a set screw 14. A coiled spring is placed aroundthe tube 12, under said nozzle and resting at its lower end upon theupper end of the tubular member 10, as clearly il lustrated. The lowerend of the telescoping tube 12, is provided with a slot 12', with astruck-in lip 12a at the upper end of the slot 12', to form the upperabutment Jfor a coiled spring 15, placed within said telescoping tube12, and at its lower end, said spring bearsy upon the lever 16, of anelectric switch 17, of common construction, projecting through anopening 10 in said tubular member 10, and through said slot 12, in thetube 12, as will be clear from Fig. 1. Said electric switch 17 ismounted upon a rubber piece 18, upon an inwardly projecting portion 8 ofthe cover 8, so that when said cover S is secured in place, said switchwill be yieldingly pressed into place, with its little lever 16projecting into thetube 12 and under the spring 15. Also mounted withinthe chamber 7, with said electric switch 17, is a resistance coil 19,interposed in the circuit wires 20 and 21, from a suitable source ofsupply and extended to the switch 17, to the resistance 19, and thenceto the motor 22, as shown in Fig. 1. The switch 17 controls the circuitto the motor 22, and the switch is operated as the tubular member 12 ismoved down and up, as when the seat S, is depressed by the user. Thespring 15 gives a yielding pressure upon the switch lever 16 so as toavoid weight resting upon said lever which would be too much for it tobear. The motor 22 is supported yieldingly upon a rubber pad orwasher`23, upon a supporting arm 24, in the botu tom of the chamber 6,and secured to the body by means of a screw 24. A screw 25 secures themotor to said arm 24. Mounted CTI upon the shaft 22 of the motor, is afan or blower 26, which forces air outwardly and downwardly within thechamber 6, and thus creates suction downwardly from the nozzle 5 13,through the tube 12 and down through the chamber 6 and out through anopening 27, in thefloor F. In the sideof the'body, from the chamber 6,is an outlet opening with closure, designated 28, for use when it 10 isnot possibleior convenient to put-anopening through the floor. The tube10, and the switch 17 and support 18 are all adjustable to compensatefor bowls of different heights and are held in adjustedpositionsby theset screw 11.

Thus it will be-seen that ac practical, yet simple and economicalventilator is provided which can be'easily yinstalled inmost placeswithout much expense and little reconstruc- 20 tion; that 4the device isautomatic, .for ywhen a-person sitsupon thefseat S, the movement is `just sulicientto depresstheseat, S, nozzle 13, and spring15,whichzrestsiupon and moves the lever `16 of Ithe switch Y1.7,andwhenthe ,weightor pressure is releaseththe lower end of the slot 12 inthe tube 12, raises-thefswitch and opens the circuit. The springoperated switch makes it practical and certain and puts only vtheynecessary pressure upon the 3o switch lever to move fit.

7e are aware fthat changes in details of construction and arrangementcan be made without departingfrom-the spirit of the invention, andweldo1not,\therefore, limit thc invention'exceptas .we may be limitedbythe hereto appended claims. Y

We claim: y=1. An automatic .ventilator for a-toiletbowl including'abody to'be mounted along side of a Vbowl and having a motor therein, afan driven byfsaid-motoiwand arranged to force air around-saidmotoriwithin said-body toan outlet,a tubular portioni extending from.said body along side said bowl, a suction nozzle telescoping in saidtubular portion, -with its nozzle overlying Asaid bowl, and circuit vconnection with switchtosaidmotor, said switch being operativelyconnected vfor operation automatically'withsaidltelescopingimembers,

said switch. c

V2. In a ventilator for toiletbowl, a body for housing-a motor and'terminating in a reducedtubularportion, a-motor in saidbody with blowerl'fan 1mounted onsaid motor and driven thereby, a tubular ymembertelescoping within said'reducedtubular.portion, a suction nozzle havingatubular part telescoping into saidtubular member, spring means normallyholding said suctionnozzle raised, a source of electric energy connectedwith said motor,.a'switch, said switchbeing operatively connected ywith1said nozzle Yfor .automatic operation with the depressionlo saidnozzle,

whereby depression lot said nozzle operates and an outlet from said fromsaid blower.

3. In a ventilator for toilet bowl, a body with motor and blower mountedtherein, a suction nozzle therefrom with the nozzle positioned over thebowl and under theseat, said nozzle being yieldinglyconnected with saidbody, circuit connections for said motor, a switch having its leverprojecting in the path of-movement ofvsaid nozzle, and-a-springinterposed between said nozzle and said lever, whereby depression of saidnozzle yieldingly actuates said switch to avoid undue weight upon saidlever.

Ll. In a ventilator for a toilet bowl and seat, a ventilator bodymounted along side of said bowl, a suction nozzlehaving a tubularportion telescoping into said body with its nozzle part under said seatover the edgeof the bowl, a motor in saidbody, a blower driven by saidmotor within said body, said motor, blower and tubular portion being inaxial alinement with each other, circuit connections to said motor, aresistance in said circuit, a switch in said circuit, said switch havinga lever projecting into said tubular portion, and yielding meansconnecting'said suction nozzle with said switch lever `for actuating itwith the depression of saidnozzle, said body7 having a dischargeopening.

Signed at Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, this 29th day ofSeptember, 193.0.- CLAUDE M. SMALL.

WILLIAM M. SUBLETTE. ELMER J. BOEHMER.

body for discharge

